2-Chloroethanol
Parameter Type: Drinking Water Testing for Volatiles
Parameter Name: 2-Chloroethanol
What it is and Where it Comes From:
2-Chloroethanol is a chemical compound with the formula HOCH2CH2Cl and the simplest chlorohydrin. This colorless liquid has a pleasant ether-like odor. It is miscible with water. The molecule is bifunctional, consisting of both an alkyl chloride and an alcohol functional groups. Chloroethanol is a metabolite in the degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane. The alcohol is then further oxidized via chloroacetaldehyde to chloroacetate. This metabolic pathway is topical since billions of kilograms of 1,2-dichloroethane are processed annually as a precursor to vinyl chloride. Drinking water testing gives you several benefits like peace of mind, identifying contaminants in your water, and insight into health concerns. Safe Home offers Laboratory drinking water testing kits for 2-Chloroethanol, allowing you to collect your water sample and ship it directly to our EPA-Certified Laboratory. This platform of drinking water testing for 2-Chloroethanol will give you an accurate level based on the lowest level of a parameter our instruments can detect (Method Detection Level). Safe Home drinking water testing for volatiles can be used for city and well water supplies. Drinking water testing should be done any time you notice a significant change in your water quality.
Health Effects:
Severe exposure may result in nausea, vomiting, coma, seizures, tachycardia, gastrointestinal bleeding, metabolic acidosis, hypotension, and respiratory failure. Human fatal poisonings have occurred by the oral exposure. 2-Chloroethanol has a moderate to high order of acute toxicity. Reported deaths have been due to metabolic acidosis and respiratory failure. Mild to moderate exposure may cause nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, tachypnea, weakness, lethargy, transient confusion, sore throat or mouth pain, dizziness, transient hypertension, hypokalemia and transient renal insufficiency. No evidence of carcinogenicity has been found in humans.
Solutions to Contaminant Levels:
After drinking water testing, what are my treatment options? A filter with granular activated carbon (GAC) is a proven option to remove certain chemicals, particularly organic chemicals, from water. GAC filters can be used to remove chemicals that give objectionable odors or tastes to water such as hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs odor) or chlorine. Reverse osmosis is a process that removes foreign contaminants, solid substances, large molecules, and minerals from water by using pressure to push it through specialized membranes. Here’s how reverse osmosis works. Unlike osmosis, which is a passive process, reverse osmosis requires external force (pressure) to work. Pressure is applied to a highly concentrated solute solution, such as salt water, to pass through a membrane to a lower concentrate solution. The membrane allows water to flow through but blocks out larger molecules, like contaminants. The reverse osmosis process leaves higher concentrations of solute on one side and only the solvent, or freshwater, on the other. Who do I need to contact to find out more information about water quality in my area? Every community water supplier must provide an annual report to its customers, known as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The report provides information on your local drinking water quality, including the water’s source, contaminants found in the water, and how consumers can get involved in protecting drinking water. How often does the local public water system preform drinking water testing? Frequency of drinking water testing depends on the number of people served, the type of water source, and types of contaminants. Certain contaminants are tested more frequently than others, as established by the Safe Drinking Water Act. You can find out about levels of regulated contaminants in your treated water for the previous calendar year in your annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
